Match-safe.



No.` 680,276. Patented Aug. I3, |90I. E. C. PITTS.

MATCH SAFE.' (Application Bled Apr. 30, 19004.)

(No Model.)

WTFIEEEES @a 2Q TME NORRIS PEYERS CO. VIUIDLIYND., WASHING' UNITED STATESV PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES C. PITTS, OF RAYNHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

MATCH-SAFE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,276, dated August 13, 1901.

Application filed April 30, 1900. Serial No. 14,835. (No model.)

To tZZ whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. Plrrs, a citizen of the United States, residing in Raynham, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Match-Safes, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to match-safes; and itconsists in a certain novel construction below described whereby the matches are presented singly, all the matches being locked in the structure under ordinary conditions and all but one being inclosed in said structure when a match is desired for use.

The nature of the invention is fully described in detail below and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved match=safe, a portion being represented as broken out. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3, Fig. 2. Dotted lines represent the body of the matchsafe raised.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The contrivance is in the general shape of a building or dwelling-house.

A represents a base, and B C the side and end walls, respectively, of a'house.

D represents a roofprovided at its upper edge or ridge-pole with the longitudinal slot E a little longerA than an ordinary` match. The side edges of this root` are bent inward and upward, as shown at D, for the purpose of underlapping the lips B', which extend downward and outward from the upper edges yof the side walls B. By this means the roof D can be slid on and off the main portion of the structure. A stop B is formed by bending up the end of one of the lips B', so that the roof may be easily slid into position and prevented from sliding too far.

H is an upright plate extending centrally from the base A, said plate having its upper edge formed with the longitudinal groove H. This plate is of such a height and length that when the structure is resting on the base A its grooved upper edge extends into the slot E, substantially filling it and being about iush with the upper edge or ridge-pole of the roof. This upright plate is provided with vertical slots K, preferably two in number, through which extend horizontal rods L, the opposite ends of which are secured in the side walls B.

P P represent downwardly-inclined plates, the upper edges of which are secured to the side Walls B, while the ends are secured to the end walls C. The lower edges of the plates P fit slidingly against the upright plate H, or are sufficiently near to said upright plate to prevent a match from falling through the space between said plates P and H. These plates P constitute a receptacle for matches S.

In practical operation the receptacle is rendered accessible so as to be filled with matches by sliding oft the roof D. The'roof is then slid back into place, and if a match is desired the structure above the base is raised into the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3. This brings the grooved up; per end of the plate H at the bottom of the match-receptacle P, so that a pile of matches lies upon and above said grooved end. -The structure is then dropped into its original position, with the result that all the matches fall away from the plate on opposite sides, leaving only one match in the groove, said groove being only large enough to accommodate a single match, as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. l. The match is then removed and the process repeated if another match is desired. These slots K act as guideways for the rods L while the device is being operated, and the upper ends of the slots serve as stops to prevent the structure from being entirely separated from the plate H. Y

As will readily be seen, while the structure is in its normal position the matches are safely inclosed, so that no accident can happen, and when a match is needed a single one only is presented at a time. The structure is preferably made of metal-such as nickel, aluminium, or bronze-and it is'adapted to receive a considerable degree of ornamentation..

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A match-safe comprising in combination, a base comprising side and end walls, the side walls being connected by the horizontal rods IOO edges of' the receptacle Vover which those of the cover engage, and an extended inturned portion- B on one of the flanges of the receptacle adapted to limit the sliding movement as decribedz p A, 'CHARLES C. PITTS'. Witnesses:

Y WRREN A. SWIFT, WILLAM H. Fox.

ment of the cover oomprisinginturned 'an'g'es Io on the edges thereof, flanges on opposite` of the cover in that direction, eulostantiallyV 15 

